Boise News

Idaho Business Review Managing Editor Makes the Leap

Idaho Democrats Have New Director

By Jill Kuraitis, 4-26-07

John Foster, former managing editor of the Idaho Business Review, has been hired as the Executive Director of the Idaho Democratic Party, state Chairman Richard Stallings announced on Thursday.

“This extremely talented young man has proven management skills and exactly the kind of enthusiasm our party needs to capitalize on last year’s gains,” Stallings said. “John comes to this job with a keen ability to coach and nurture to our expanding staff; and to oversee day-to-day operations. He’s the right person at the right time in the right party.”

Foster replaces former IDP executive director Maria Weeg, who moved to Arizona earlier this month to assume that state’s directorship.

Foster, 33, has worked as managing editor of the Idaho Business Review newspaper for the past year. An Idaho native, he previously served as news editor for the Rio Grande SUN in New Mexico. He has worked as a newspaper trainer and contest judge, and has served as an officer and member of several professional journalism organizations. Foster wrote for numerous outdoor-themed magazines and Web sites prior to becoming a full-time journalist.

In an interview today, Foster said, “I have been a NewWest reader from the day it launched because of its goal of focusing on the odd mix of politics, conservation, land use, and civic life that seems so alien to people back east but so natural to me as a native Idahoan. Those issues are near and dear to the Democratic Party and will continue to be so.”

“As a former journalist, I’m comfortable with the mainstream media, but my heart is in the blogosphere.”

“The main focus of the party is not going to change at all from what Maria and the staff have done here which is finding solid, pragmatic, Idaho people who want solutions rather than conflict and frustration. Our issues are looking out for the middle class and keeping Idaho free and open, core values that will not change under me.”

“I think that while the federal races are clearly very important to the party and the state, one of my main missions here is to not ignore the 105 legislative races that are just as important.”

Governor Dean has been incredibly successful with the 50-state strategy and Maria was very successful with 35-district strategy and we’ll continue that.”

Foster’s personal hero is Cecil Andrus, former Idaho governor and U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Jimmy Carter, who said, “John has the kind of competitive spirit that will be a great benefit to our party in the 2008 presidential and legislative elections,”

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